Definition

Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) is a fatal type of prion disease. Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) is a prion disease that affects cows. There is evidence that this illness can be transmitted to humans, producing vCJD. This illness is often called mad cow disease.

Causes

It is generally believed that vCJD is caused by infectious proteins called prions. Prions are normal proteins in the body. If these prions fold up in a different way than normal, they may transform into the protein that causes the illness. The build-up of abnormal prions may be linked to the brain damage associated with vCJD.

Prevention

About 200 worldwide cases of vCJD have occurred to date. Most of these were associated with beef consumption in the United Kingdom. There is a great deal of controversy regarding the safety of US beef. BSE has been detected in the US. However, no cases of vCJD have been attributed to eating US beef. US patients with vCJD were deemed to have obtained it outside of the US.

Revision Information

This content is reviewed regularly and is updated when new and relevant evidence is made available. This information is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with questions regarding a medical condition.